Stories

Do you love a good craft beer? Are you so tired of domestic that you make your own at home? Then get ready to take a trip to Poplar Bluff where the 2015 Bootheel Beerfest will soon be underway, offering a variety of beer and food vendors, a homebrew contest, live music, and some of the finest craft beer from all over the country.

David Peluso is the organizer of the Beerfest and Bootheel United Zymurgist (BUZ). Peluso is a long-time beer-lover, and in his travels and vacations he has made a point of visiting breweries, some as far as California. Now he’s using his connections to bring all these breweries home. He said, “I wanted to give people a chance to try beer from all over the country in just a few hours. There’s so many that you won’t be able to try them all. And that’s not a challenge.”

The festival also offers people the chance to show off their own brews with the homebrew contest. The deadline to enter your favorite creation into the contest is April 5, with awards to be announced at the Beerfest. “People get a thrill out of doing your own thing,” Peluso said, “You may think your beer is the best, and your mom might tell you it’s great, but competition gives you an avenue to see how good your beer really is.”

Peluso said he always wanted to put something like this together, but it wasn’t until recently when he created BUZ that he had the opportunity. Back in September he found a group of people who were willing to help, as well as a cause to support. Proceeds from the beer festival go to the Cape Arrowhead, an organization creating opportunities for individuals to generate income, encourage a sense of community and self-sufficiency, and build self-esteem.

Peluso says that, in general, the festival is for lovers of craft beer, but with four live bands performing, and plenty of food vendors, he hopes that everyone feels welcome to come. After all, the festival is all about trying something new. People are free to walk around and try samples, and there is a VIP option where patrons can come in an hour early and try rare beers, as well as food pairings from local restaurants.

Peluso has a lot more plans up his sleeve. Next year he hopes to double the size of the festival, and he is looking to open his very own brewery in town. “I used to work at a local winery that went out of business; that inspired me to open my own place.”

The Bootheel Beerfest is April 11 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Ad Grotto (3102 Kennedy Lane) in Poplar Bluff, MO. For more information, and to order tickets visit their website, or follow them on Facebook.